Sketchbooks and journals, 1947-2015

The Henk Pander papers document Pander's success as an artist through correspondence, business papers, notes, and artwork. Materials contain research and proposals for many of Pander's commissioned works including the Governor Tom McCall and Governor John Kitzhaber portraits, and the Port of Portland Mural. Correspondence and speeches document Pander's interest in beginning the Visual Chronicle and its relationship to the Topographic Atlas of Amsterdam. Materials show Pander's work co-founding the Storefront Theatre as well as planning for the various set designs he created.

This collection contains personal papers related to Pander's family and friends. These include correspondence between Pander and his family in the Netherlands, as well as between family and friends throughout the United States.

Also included is an extensive collection of sketchbooks and journals which document Pander’s life and career during the years 1947 to 2015. Drawings within the sketchbooks focus on important events throughout Pander’s life including: living in Amsterdam and Haarlem, Holland; ride-alongs with emergency first responders; World War II studies; the Galileo Project with NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration); the demolition of the New Carissa tanker; and set designs and posters for various theaters. Many of the sketchbook drawings are portraits and landscapes, which provide insight into Pander’s daily life with his family, friends, and colleagues. Pander’s ability to capture intimate relationships among people is also evident in depictions of erotica and erotic imagery found throughout his sketchbooks.